Department of Applied Japanese and Department of Hospitality Management, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, held an international workshop with two well-known Japanese-culinary schools-- Ecole de Patisserie Nagoya, and SUPER SWEETS SCHOOL in Ishikawa, with a total of 22 teachers and students coming from the “Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS)" project conducting Taiwanese and Japanese culinary culture and baking skills demonstrations. The host family program office of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology particularly arranged Taiwan's homestay activities for three days and two nights to receive Japanese students from afar, hoping that they could fully mingled with Taiwanese families and experience the local life in Taiwan.

【Japanese Students were visiting the class of the Department of Applied Japanese】

The Japanese visiting team first visited the Japanese conversation class at STUST, and the Japanese students actively participated in the class and enthusiastically asked Taiwanese students speaking on the stage. Student of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology performed well with great responses. The team leader highly praised the solid Japanese education and training of STUST, deeply impressed by the performance of Taiwanese students.

【Mei-Hua Deng, Chairperson of the Department of Applied Japanese Science, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology (2nd from the 2nd row on the right) and Saito Yukii (1st from 3rd row on the left) of Ecole de Patisserie Nagoya, and Morikata Murata (first from the 3nd row on the right) of SUPER SWEETS SCHOOL in Ishikawa and other teachers and students from Japan and Taiwan】

In addition, when the Japanese team had a luncheon meeting with teachers and students of the Department of Applied Japanese, they introduced the food culture of their own country in depth. Japanese cuisine was listed as one of the "World Intangible Cultural Heritage" by the UNESCO World in 2013. With a special emphasis on its beauty, Japanese cuisine does not over-cook; it respects the original taste of food, quite unlike the food culture in Taiwan, which pays great attention to frying, boiling, and other conditioning methods. Through this exchange between Taiwan and Japan, students had a better understanding of the food culture of each other's country. This is a very rare opportunity. It is believed that the teachers and students from the two universities from far away must have felt warm and welcomed in Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology. They also had a preliminary understanding of Taiwanese Japanese education and Taiwan’s food culture.

【Group photo teachers and students from Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Ecole de Patisserie Nagoya, and SUPER SWEETS SCHOOL in Ishikawa】

As the Department of Applied Japanese and the Department of Hospitality Management, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, held an international workshop with two well-known Japanese-culinary schools-- Ecole de Patisserie Nagoya, and SUPER SWEETS SCHOOL in Ishikawa, teachers and students conducted the baking exchange activities. The teachers and students from the three universities of the two countries represented their own strengths on producing the latest and popular desserts. They also shared and exchanged ideas on the cultivation of talents for baking in dessert making between Japan and Taiwan. Teachers, and students from the three universities in Taiwan and Japan jointly demonstrated, discussed, and communicated with each other while they worked with their team members. Each group included different students from the Department of Hospitality Management, Ecole de Patisserie Nagoya, and SUPER SWEETS SCHOOL in Ishikawa. Prof. Mei-Hua Deng and Prof. Yu-Sha Chen took charge of interpreting the two languages to make the sharing and exchange go smoothly. During the exchange, teachers and students from the two schools in Japan jointly demonstrated and explained the most popular lightning puffs and vanilla cake desserts in Japan.

【International Exchange on dessert making: Teachers Murata Naoki (fourth from the right) of SUPER SWEETS SCHOOL in Ishikawa and Saito Yukii (right five) of Ecole de Patisserie Nagoya, Prof. Chu-Yi Huang—Chairperson of the Department of Hospitality Management (right six), National Representative Fang-Ting Guo (right seventh), and many other teachers and students】

According to Prof. Chuyi Huang, Chairperson of the Department of Hospitality Management, this type of cross-border, cross-school, and inter-school team cooperation and communication model will help students absorb experience in division of labor with foreign partners, improving their professional skills and enhancing their international cooperation capabilities. It can great help laying the foundation of International mobility for students. Through this successful cooperation, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology will promote more exchanges and cooperation between international baking and multinational catering, and cultivate top-notch talents with international cooperation capabilities.

【Students from Ecole de Patisserie Nagoya in Japan (first and second right) happily met with their host family in Taiwan】